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Sports Title: Robert Barnes: No, NFL Players Do Not Have a Right to Kneel or Boycott American Anthem Robert Barnes: No, NFL Players Do Not Have a Right to Kneel or Boycott American Anthem The Associated Press by Robert Barnes 26 Sep 2017 Like the Democratic Party, the NFL has forgot who put them there. The NFL is in the entertainment business, and the heart of its fan base is Trump country. It ain’t CNN. First, the First Amendment protects against the government limiting speech (like public universities do routinely these days); it is not a license to use your employer to harangue their customers. On the company’s time and the customer’s dime, you have no First Amendment right to lecture your customers or fellow employees or anyone else for that matter. Second, the NFL rules allow broad discretion to owners to fire any player for a wide range of offensive expression, even outside the field of play. The NFL recognizes and repeats this in court filings all the time. It is on this basis the NFL restricts everything from what players can wear on the field (like threatening to fine players for commemorating 9/11) to the players’ domestic interpersonal relationships. The NFL has punished a range of expression, from the charitable (players fined for wearing breast cancer research support clothing items) to the benign (dance expressions in the end zone). Third, each contract a player signs includes templated language that reflects these rules. A player must “conduct himself on and off the field with appropriate recognition of the fact that the success of professional football depends largely on public respect for and approval of those associated with the game” (Paragraph 2). Additionally, any player whose personal conduct is “reasonably judged by the club to adversely affect or reflect on the club” can have his contract terminated immediately. (Paragraph 11). The players’ own CBA (collective bargaining agreement) reinforced this league prerogative, authorizing owners right of suspension or termination “for conduct detrimental” to “public confidence in” football. (Article 46).
Fourth, the league specifically articulates restrictions on how players must handle the national anthem. The game-operations manual — not the rules manual — dictates how NFL games should be run, including how players must handle the anthem. The NFL’s own website threatens “penalties for noncompliance” with the game operations manual.” The manual requires that “all players must be on the sideline for the National Anthem.” It further requires the players “stand at attention, face the flag, hold helmets in their left hand, and refrain from talking” during the playing of the anthem. The manual recognized the league will “be judged by the public in this area of respect for the flag and our country” and it is thusly the duties of the owner to have this “pointed our to players and coaches.” The sanctions for non-compliance include “fines, suspensions, and/or the forfeiture of draft choices.” Trump is right: the league’s own rules require respect for the anthem and flag under which many Americans returned in caskets. The fact the NFL chose to ignore its own rules, its own contracts, and its own collective bargaining agreement is a sign it doesn’t consider disrespect for the flag to be “conduct detrimental” to the “public reputation” of the league. That’s what happens when you get your news from CNN. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 19.
Fourth, the league specifically articulates restrictions on how players must handle the national anthem. The game-operations manual — not the rules manual — dictates how NFL games should be run, including how players must handle the anthem. The NFL’s own website threatens “penalties for noncompliance” with the game operations manual.” The manual requires that “all players must be on the sideline for the National Anthem.” I saw this yesterday and while the author cites the NFL Game Operations Manual specifically states, in quotations, “all players must be on the sideline for the National Anthem,” he does not cite to where this allegedly appears, and I cannot find any such quote. I have found no source that provides a link to the manual where the content may be seen, nor any image of any manual page. I have found endless sources quoting internet sources, but none enabling verification of the quote. http://operations.nfl.com/football-ops/league-governance/
It’s a great day for football. At least that says "the players appear, the national anthem is sung," apparently saying the players appear before the anthem begins. Of course, it is not a Rule which is enforcable for disciplinary purposes. Left side select "The Game" [the football icon] Select Gameday Scroll down to Countdown to Kickoff Scroll down to "20 Minutes" and here is the countdown:
20 minutes: Earliest a visiting team can be required to end its warm-ups, absent a leaguewide obligation or event being conducted on the field during the warm-up period. I first saw the assertion appear as claiming the content was in the NFL Official Playing Rules. When that proved specious, it revived with someone claiming it was in the NFL Operations Manual. The online game operations content only says when the teams must leave the locker room. It says nothing of when they must clear the tunnel leading to the field, and appear on the field itself. I can find published articles citing pages a62-a63, but never with a link to enable one to see the pages.
The specific rule pertaining to the national anthem is found on pages A62-63 of the league’s game operations manual, according to a league source. It may be that the internet is buzzing with a story whose attribution is "according to a league source," meaning the writer never saw the page, and "a league source" is really, really vague. http://time.com/4955704/nfl-league-rulebook-a62-63-national-anthem-rule/
Here's what the game operations manual says regarding the national anthem, according to an NFL spokesperson: Another anonymous source, and the writer did not see the alleged pages. http://www.snopes.com/must-nfl-players-stand/
We have not yet been able to independently confirm the existence and wording of this second document [nc - Game Operations Manual] (the NFL has not responded to our query), but the proffered wording — which league spokesman Brian McCarthy described as a “policy” rather than a “rule” — states that players must “be” on the sideline for the national anthem, not that they must “stand” on the sideline (the latter is listed only as something players “should” do). The wording also establishes that players “may” (not “shall”) be penalized for not observing the regulation, and indeed the NFL announced that they would not take any disciplinary measures over players’ remaining in the locker room before Week 3 games: There is a named league source, but he does not confirm the alleged content of the alleged pages a62-a63.
#3. To: nolu chan (#1) (Edited) Not to go further off-topic but I read this at RedState:
It was the first presidential debate on NBC with Lester Holt on 9/26/16. So the Week 3 numbers don't tell us much.
#9. To: Tooconservative (#3) It was the first presidential debate on NBC with Lester Holt on 9/26/16. So the Week 3 numbers don't tell us much. I saw that and also that the NFL tried the same crap. Of course their numbers were up from one year ago on Monday. It is just a reflection of how bad their numbers were against the debate a year ago.
#11. To: nolu chan (#9) That Cowboys game on Monday must have had huge ratings. Because Sunday night was a disaster for ratings. The Hill:
#14. To: Tooconservative (#11) That Cowboys game on Monday must have had huge ratings. Because Sunday night was a disaster for ratings. Yuh think? But it dived in Dallas/Ft. Worth. I have my very sincere doubts that Jerry is going to join a midfield circle jerk, kneeling in Dallas. He might do that in Arizona, but I will bet a cookie there is no repeat in Dallas. The spin sounds good, but if Kneeling Jerry was a success, I want to know what a disaster looks like. How many Dallas viewers saw Jerry take a knee and changed the channel?
Cowboys Monday Night Football rating plummets in Dallas-Fort Worth but... This Story is About...
#19. To: nolu chan (#14) An off-topic followup ping, the Navy going back to basics of seamanship. Slimes: Navy Returns to Compasses and Pencils to Help Avoid Collisions at Sea
Replies to Comment # 19. There are no replies to Comment # 19.
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